Updated at 11:10 a.m. ET: NEW DELHI -- Half of India's 1.2 billion people were without power Tuesday as the grids covering 19 states broke down, the second major blackout in as many days.

Stretching from Assam, near China, to the Himalayas and the northwestern deserts of Rajasthan, the outage was the worst to hit India in more than a decade and embarrassed the government, which has failed to build up enough power capacity to meet soaring demand.

---

The power loss includes grid failures in northern, eastern and northeastern India.

"Even before we could figure out the reason for yesterday's failure, we had more grid failures today," said R. N. Nayak, chairman of the state-run Power Grid Corporation. 

By the afternoon rush hour, only about 40 percent of power was back up. Electricity had not been restored to all of the sweltering capital, New Delhi, and streets were clogged with commuters trying to get home.

"It's certainly shameful. Power is a very basic amenity and situations like these should not occur," said Unnayan Amitabh, 19, an intern with HSBC bank in New Delhi, as he was giving up on the underground train system and flagging down an auto-rickshaw to get home.

"They (politicians) talk about big ticket reforms but can't get something as essential as power supply right," Amitabh said.

Temperatures in New Delhi have been about average for this time of year, hovering in the 90s with some rain. But the rains from the June-September monsoon season, which is the primary source of irrigation for most of India's farmlands, have been about 20 percent below average up to this point, according to The Economic Times, India's top financial paper.

Among the states hit hard are agricultural areas such as wheat-belt Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in the Ganges plains, which has a larger population than Brazil. With less rain to irrigate crops, more farmers resort to electric pumps to draw water from wells.

Dozens die as blaze engulfs overnight train in India

Miners trapped
Two hundred miners were stranded in three deep coal shafts in the state of West Bengal when their electric elevators stopped working. Eastern Coalfields Limited official Niladri Roy said workers at the mines, one of which is 3,000 feet deep, were not in danger and were being taken out.

Train stations in Kolkata were swamped and traffic jammed the streets after government offices closed early in the dilapidated coastal city of 5 million people.

The power failed in some major city hospitals and office buildings had to fire up diesel generators.

By mid-evening, services had been restored on the New Delhi metro system. 

"At one level it is not all that dramatic because most people do have backups because our power system is prone to breakdowns. What is dramatic today is that it has happened across the country," Himangshu Watts, the energy editor for The Economic Times told NBC News.

"In big cities like Delhi all the hospitals will have backup generation. ... What I'm concerned about (is) what would happen in ... surgery in a small town," he said.

PhotoBlog: India's new president takes office

Power cuts at major hospitals
Nineteen of India's 28 states with a total population of more than 600 million people suffered outages on Tuesday, India's NDTV said, with the lights out even at major hospitals in Kolkata.

Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde blamed the system collapse on some states drawing more than their share of electricity from the overstretched grid. Asia's third-largest economy suffers a peak-hour power deficit of about 10 percent, dragging on economic growth.

"This is the second day that something like this has happened. I've given instructions that whoever overdraws power will be punished," Shinde said.

A staffer at the Indian Ministry of Power told NBC News that Tuesday's outage, which occurred just after 2 p.m. (4:30 a.m. ET), was still being repaired.

On Monday, India was forced to buy extra power from the tiny neighboring kingdom of Bhutan to help it recover from that blackout, which hit more than 300 million people.

Creaky infrastructure
Power shortages and a creaky road and rail network have also weighed heavily on the country's efforts to industrialize. Grappling with the slowest economic growth in nine years, India recently scaled back a target to pump $1 trillion into infrastructure over the next five years.

Full coverage of international news on NBCNews.com

Major industries have dedicated power plants or large diesel generators and are shielded from outages -- but the inconsistent supply hits investment and disrupts small businesses.

High consumption of heavily subsidized diesel by farmers and businesses has fueled a gaping fiscal deficit that the government has vowed to tackle to restore confidence in the economy. But the poor monsoon season means a subsidy cut is politically difficult.

NBC staff, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

• Military drafted in to fill empty seats at London Olympics
• Romney would 'respect' Israel strike on Iran, aide says
• Rome's leaning Colosseum has experts worried
• 2 US climbers found dead on Peruvian peak
• Olympic crasher marched at Opening Ceremony
• Elephants slaughtered, orphan found in latest Africa poaching

News on NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

 

Olympic and Saudi Arabian officials are in talks with judo chiefs to find a solution after the sport's governing body ruled the Saudi's female competitor would have to fight without a hijab, or Islamic headscarf.

On Thursday, the head of the International Judo Federation (IJF) president Marius Vizer confirmed Wodjan Ali Seraj Abdulrahim Shaherkani, one of the first two female athletes sent to the Olympics by the conservative Muslim kingdom, would not be allowed to wear a hijab.

Shaherkani is due to compete in the women's heavyweight tournament next Friday, and her participation could now be in doubt.

"We still have one week. She is still scheduled to compete, there's no information that she won't compete," IJF spokesman Nicolas Messner told Reuters. "We still have time."

---

He said talks were underway between the Saudi Arabian National Olympic Committee, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the IJF to attempt to resolve the issue.

He did not elaborate on how this could be achieved but said there was "very good collaboration."

IOC spokesman Mark Adams confirmed there had been a meeting on Thursday.

"It was a positive discussion and we are confident a solution will be found," he said. Asked what that solution would be, he said: "There are a range of options."

No one from the Saudi delegation could be reached for comment.

However, a Saudi official had told Reuters earlier this month they expected that the women would have to obey the dress code of Islamic law. He did not elaborate, but other conservative Muslim countries have interpreted this to mean a headscarf, long sleeves and long pants.

Vizer told reporters that Shaherkani would fight according to "the principle and spirit of judo" and thus without a headscarf.

The federation makes the argument that wearing the headscarf would be unsafe. But Human Rights Watch's Director of Global Initiatives, Minky Worden, says a number of federations do allow the wearing of head coverings that comply with religious requirements.

"Many of the judo federations, especially for example the Asian judo federation, which has Malaysia and Singapore, those are women who do compete in headscarves, and there have long been accommodations that are made for religious dress," Worden said.

Shaherkani, who will compete in the 78 kg (172 pounds) category in judo, and teenage 800-meter runner Sarah Attar were the first Saudi women allowed to take part in the Olympics after talks between the IOC and the country.

The decision to allow female Saudi athletes to compete at London was praised by IOC President Jacques Rogge at the time.

"This is very positive news and we will be delighted to welcome these two athletes in London in a few weeks time," Rogge said in a statement in early July.

Saudi Arabia was one of three countries, alongside Brunei and Qatar, never to have sent female athletes to the Olympics but the latter two confirmed earlier this year that their delegations would include women.

“This was to have been a breakthrough for women’s rights," Worden said. "It would be a shame to only have one [woman competing]."

Reuters contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

• Syria regime 'reeling, armed to the teeth' with chemical weapons
• 'Fairy tale': Is the Olympics really neutral?
• Engel: Rebels dismayed over US statement on Syria
• Brits rally around Games after Romney's Olympic gaffe
• After tough London trip, Romney heads to Israel
• Millionaire medalists: Does the Olympic spirit live on?
• Wife of ousted China politician charged with murder

News on NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

By Thanh Truong, NBC News

BRIGHTON, TENN. -- Times are tough in Tennessee. David McDaniel and his twins look out on their farm fields and see row upon row of withering crops.

"It's hard to know before we harvest but it's going to be at least a 50 percent loss, maybe more," said McDaniel, who still owes tens of thousands of dollars for farm equipment and land. The crops would have helped his family stay out of debt.

---

Thursday’s Drought Monitor report shows “widespread intensification” in the central U.S.  Throughout the country areas in the worst drought categories rose by 50 percent.  And in parts of western Tennessee, the drought is categorized as either "extreme" or "severe."

And as farmer Clay Kelley explained, the anticipated crop loss is felt by the entire community.

"When folks get a good crop, everybody gets a new pickup truck. There's not going to be many new pickup trucks running this year," he said.

As times get tougher farmers are more likely to hold on to what they have than buy new vehicles. 

"Truck sales are about 50 percent of our business and I would say right now, the way things are going, we are probably looking at a 20 percent decrease in sales towards the fall," said Daniel Allen, sales manager at Country Chevrolet in Brighton, Tenn.

The potential financial losses are mounting, but so is something less visible: stress. David McDaniel's wife, Lisa McDaniel, sees the weight of worry on her husband. As a farmer’s wife she's somewhat used to that. But this time around her 28-year-old twin sons are involved. Their corn, soybean and cotton crops are struggling. This is their first experience with a brutal drought.

"I worry. They're not little anymore but I still worry," Lisa McDaniel said.  "I know what David and I have been through but I don't want that on them at all. Now they're going through it, and now they're starting their families and they're going to see what it's like; they're going to realize it. They haven't experienced a bad year. It's scary."

Her son Jeffrey McDaniel has a two-year-old son and another on the way. He and his wife Caroline McDaniel were planning to finish their first house and move in, but that's on hold until they have a better grasp on what the fields will yield. Debt is his biggest worry.

"It's in the back of my mind all the time, not being able to pay back what I owe," said Jeffrey.

His wife does what she can to help.

"I try and remind him not to worry even though that's a really hard thing to do. And just tell him that I have my income coming in and that helps and if I need to work more, I will,” said Caroline, who has a part-time job as a dental hygienist. “We've been going to church, a lot, saying lot of prayers."

Those prayers revolve around rain.

 

 

 

 

NORTHERN SYRIA – Every war has its demons. The chaos of bullets and bombs gives rise to a certain breed of men who join the fight for the thrill of killing, and to stand before begging prisoners and cowering women in damp tattered clothing. 

In Syria these monsters in civilian clothing who are the enforcers for President Bashar Assad’s regime are called the “shabiha.”

I’m staying in one of their family’s homes.

---

Syria’s ghost-like devils
It’s a small house with a vaulted stone ceiling. The shower is a bucket on the floor that slopes into a drain. There’s an outhouse in the garden with a fig tree.  The house looks like many in this rural village flanked by olive, walnut and almond groves.  

Syrian troops withdraw from 'secondary towns' and pound Aleppo

The shabiha left this village when the army pulled out to re-group and attack Aleppo, Syria’s commercial capital and the focus of the battle to control the north of the country. Before they left, there were about 50 shabiha in the village by most rebel counts.  

Some lived among the rebels as spies. Others operated as plainclothes commandoes, arresting rebels or just shooting them and their families. I’ve seen a video of shabiha using a chainsaw to cut off a rebel’s head.  I saw a shabiha prisoner tied up with wires. The rebels accused him of raping 10 girls. The youngest girl was said to be just 14.  

Shabiha is a difficult word to translate into English. It comes from the word Syrians used to describe the luxury Mercedes favored by the Assad family’s operatives that the enforcers of the regime used to move money, smuggle weapons and intimidate opponents.

Whenever someone in a flashy Mercedes with tinted window passed by, Syrians would say the car was a ‘shabah.’  It literally means the car was a ‘ghost,’ mysterious and not to be trifled with. The thugs who drove these phantom cars became known as shabiha – the ghosts who worked in the dictatorship’s deep shadows.  

After the fighting started here the Assad government turned the shabiha into a militia. It armed them and sent them to infiltrate, execute and spy on the rebels. Now the shabiha are more feared than Syrian troops. Their evil has become legendary.  

Rebels talk of the shabiha like devils, deadly as the regime’s chemical gas.  But herein lies the danger. 

Engel: Myth vs. truth in the Syrian conflict

Who is really who?
I’m not sure if this house was really owned by any shabiha or their relatives. The owner’s son is accused of being shabiha, but the rebels have no solid proof that he did anything wrong at all. And there’s no proof either that the young man I saw tied up with wires, his eyes covered with a bandana, actually raped any girls.  

Every war has revolutionary justice. Here that justice is carried out in the name of fighting shabiha.  

No one knows exactly how many shabiha work for the regime. If the Assad government falls, the rebels will likely – almost certainly – carry out executions of suspected shabiha.  

A man I spoke to this morning said all shabiha should be executed without mercy, and their property sold and distributed among their victims. The man’s own cousin is among those accused of being shabiha.

CFR.org: What you need to know about the Syria crisis

Slippery slope 
But how will Syrians know when justice is being served or miscarried?  

There’s also a disproportionate number of Alawites, accused of being shabiha. The Alawites are the minority Shiite Muslim sect to which Assad belongs and which has held a disproportionate amount of power since his family came to power in 1970. But the Alawites make up only 10 percent of the population, sowing resentment among the country’s Sunni population, who make up the majority of Syria’s 22 million people. 

PhotoBlog: Who are the Syrian rebels? 

Syrians need to prepare for the aftermath if the Assad regime falls. Atrocities that could be considered war crimes have been committed in this country and Syrians should rightly demand that the perpetrators be held accountable.  

But Syrians must be careful not to engage in a murderous campaign of hunting ghosts. The shabiha are real, but they can’t be everywhere.

More world stories from NBC News:

• Millionaire medalists: Does Olympic spirit live on?
• In Japan, a nuclear ghost town stirs to life 
• Olympic security plan turns London into fortress
• Myth vs. truth in the Syrian conflict
• 'Building Tomorrow' -- one school at a time

Follow World News on NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

 

The drought ruining crops, shrinking water supplies and exacerbating wildfires intensified dramatically over the last week, U.S. forecasters reported Thursday.

The weekly Drought Monitor shows "widespread intensification" in the central U.S., the National Drought Mitigation Center said in a statement.

Across the contiguous U.S., the total area under all kinds of drought grew only slightly but the most severe categories -- extreme and exceptional -- rose from 13.5 percent to 20.5 percent -- the highest level since 2003.

---

The jump "this week was the largest since we started the U.S. Drought Monitor" 12 years ago, Brian Fuchs, a climatologist and Drought Monitor author, told NBC News. "This is really showing the rapid intensification of the drought due to the heat/dryness over the region with little relief for anyone."

"We’ve seen tremendous intensification of drought through Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Arkansas, Kansas and Nebraska, and into part of Wyoming and South Dakota in the last week," Fuchs said in the center's statement.

Every state had at least a small area categorized as "abnormally dry" or worse. "It’s such a broad footprint," Fuchs said. 

The Weather Channel noted the jump is the equivalent of adding 219,000 square miles to the worst drought categories -- "an area slightly larger than the states of California and New York combined," it  noted.

Related story: Food prices to rise next year, USDA says

States posting dramatic increases in just the last week included Illinois, which went from 8 percent in extreme/exceptional drought to 70 percent, and Nebraska, which went from 5 percent to 64 percent.

In Illinois, the drought is impacting water supplies in towns like Pontiac. "The Vermillion River does not have enough flow for us to use it as our primary source of water," one field observer reported Wednesday to the Drought Mitigation Center. "We have had to switch to a secondary source of water, located in a reservoir a few miles outside of town ...  A 'dirt' like smell and taste is being noted ... We NEED rain, very soon."

The intensification also means drier soils and deteriorated pastures.

"Over 90 percent of the topsoil was short or very short of moisture in Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio, with virtually all (99 percent) short or very short in Missouri and Illinois," the monitor stated. "Over 80 percent of the pasture and rangeland was in poor or very poor condition in Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana."

A longer drought index compiled by the U.S. shows this year's drought now covers the most acreage since a dry spell in 1954. Two Dust Bowl years, 1934 and 1939, also had larger drought areas in the Palmer Drought Severity Index, which dates back to 1895 but is not as detailed as the Drought Monitor.

More content from NBCNews.com:

• Gun owners: 'We are your neighbors, co-workers, friends'
• Panetta: Transition system for vets is 'overwhelmed'
• Pentagon launches 'Stolen Valor' website for military medals
• Teen charged with murder in Bronx playground shooting
• One in six sex offenders lives undetected digital double life, study finds
• Video: Killer whale tries to drown SeaWorld trainer
• Tragedy compounded: Killers' parents become instant pariahs

• Chicago's big school deal: Longer days for kids, hundreds more teachers

Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

 

 

News Analysis

NORTHERN SYRIA – The rebels call this Free Syria. 

I am writing from a village that was occupied by Syrian soldiers four hours ago – the tracks of retreating tanks are freshly pressed into the pavement.

Grape vines hang in the small garden of the two-room stone house I’m in.  There’s no electricity, but there is fresh water from rural wells.  Bullet holes – some as small as grapes, others big as oranges – pierce the house’s walls. 

Still, the people in this village are celebrating.

“Free Syrian army! God protect them!” they shout, index and middle fingers splayed into a “v” for victory. 

---

The 200 Syrian troops who’d been shelling this village of 8,000 olive and walnut farmers withdrew under fire Wednesday night.  Women and children who had been hiding in other villages within walking distance stream in, loaded with vegetables and yogurt. 

The returning families sift through the debris of their homes.  The villagers find that many houses were burned by Syrian troops.  The Syrian army appears to have carried out a deliberate scorched-earth campaign here. 

The troops burned every home with a son, son-in-law or even cousin among the rebels, residents tell us.  There can be little doubt that this is government policy (and what appears to be a war crime) because the same thing has happening in every village we’ve visited. 

A man who returned to this village had a leg cut off under torture by Syrian forces.  He’s 74 years old.

Another man who escaped Damascus five days ago says the fighting in the capital is now so bad that President Bashar Assad isn’t sending ground forces into rebel neighborhoods anymore and is only shelling them from afar.  He doesn’t want to send foot patrols out of fear the troops will defect, people say.

The regime is on the ropes.  

Total war: Syria sends armored column to Aleppo

The Assad goverment is concentrating its firepower on big cities like Damascus and Aleppo.  Government troops left this village last night to join the attack on Aleppo.  But the rebels, and Syria, need urgent help to prevent huge losses of life, both among fighters and civilians – Sunni, Allawite and Christian.

Many myths circulate in Washington and in the media about the Syrian opposition and the fighting in this country.   From what I’ve seen traveling with the rebels, many of the commonly accepted ‘truths’ seem to be incorrect.  After all, the first casualty of war is the truth.

Myth: The rebels are getting weapons and money from abroad and will soon finish off Bashar’s army on their own. 

View from the ground: The rebels are fighting with almost nothing.  I was with a rebel commander yesterday who has 48 men.  Only 15 of his fighters have any weapons.  He has almost no ammunition.  He has one anti-aircraft gun, but not a single bullet for it. 

The rebels don’t have enough gasoline to put in their vehicles.  The gas they can find costs the equivalent of $8 a gallon.  Food is plentiful, and so is water.  But weapons and ammunition are in desperately short supply.  Another unit I have seen is armed with homemade bombs that they try to fire from cardboard tubes.  

The rebels are now starting to get Motorola radios.  They are new and coming from Turkey.  Washington has recently said it will help private non-lethal aid, including communications equipment.  But the radios are of little use.  Communications have never been the rebels’ main problem.  In fact, the rebels coordinate and communicate effectively already.  They use  both the new Motorola radios and local Syrian cellphones.  The cellphones can be monitored by Syrian intelligence, but the rebels’ strategy has been to overwhelm the Syrian government’s ability to listen. 

Because the rebels – commanders and foot soldiers – all use cellphones and landlines, there are tens or thousands of conversations going on at any one time.  The rebels speak vaguely and in primitive codes.  It seems unlikely that Syrian forces are able to keep track of such a high volume of calls and effectively act on them.  The rebels do appreciate the radios and use them, but they are a secondary priority. 

Syria: What you need to know about the crisis from the CFR.org

What the rebels say they truly need are arms that can pierce Syrian armored vehicles.  They need 12.7 anti-aircraft ammunition.  They say they need 14.5 ‘doshka’ rounds.   They need armor penetrating RPGS.  They need 60mm and 120mm mortars.  They need 7.62 rounds.  These are what commanders ask for whenever I meet them.  These are what every rebel wants.

Myth: The rebels are disorganized, have no leaders and are rife with infighting.

View from the ground: The rebels have no central leadership.  They do not have a single commander.  The rebels generally do not recognize the leaders of the Syrian opposition in exile in Turkey and Europe.  But on the ground here in Syria the rebels are well organized.   Their structure is more organic than hierarchical, less like a pyramid than a bungle of grapes, with individual cells joined together by a common cause.  The rebel cells coordinate well with each other.  Since weapons are in such short supply, all rebel military operations are collective efforts.  In the town where I am, there are no fewer than five different rebel commands.  They respect each other.  They trade weapons and fighters.  Some units are more Islamic in their politics, others are secular.  The differences in politics do not prevent their coordination.

Photo Blog: Who are the Syrian rebels?

Myth: The rebels are al-Qaida or at least infiltrated by al-Qaida.

View from the ground:  We have not seen evidence of a large al-Qaida presence.  This is not an al-Qaida fight.  In the last 24 hours we have met three rebel commanders.  One was an air-conditioner repairman before the war.  Another was a tomato and zucchini farmer.  The third grew grain and lentils.  One of the commanders considers himself an Islamist.  The other two are more secular. 

In total, the three commanders control about 1,500 men.  Not one of the commanders supports al-Qaida, nor have any of the dozens rebels have we have met.  There were reports that al-Qaida fighters had recently taken over the Baab al-Howa border crossing between Syria and Turkey.  There was a video that showed rebels carrying a suspicious-looking all black flag, similar to ones favored by al-Qaida.  We spoke with the rebel leader who carried the flag.  He said he has nothing to do with al-Qaida and the flag was an Islamic one.

Syrian forces launch air attacks on largest city

Al-Qaida’s presence may grow, however, without a quick end to this conflict.  The rebels need help.  Their men are dying.  Their homes are being burned.  As time goes on, the temptation to welcome help – even if offered from al-Qaida –will grow.  We have heard reports of foreign fighters coming to Syrian from Algeria and Saudi Arabia.  We have heard reports that al-Qaida is offering some rebel commanders money.  The longer this drags on, the more dangerous it will get.

Myth: The rebels want a NATO intervention

View from the ground: The rebels do not want American or European soldiers in Syria.  Many rebels do not specifically even want a no-fly-zone, although I suspect many would welcome it.  Mostly, they just want access to weapons. 

Myth: After Assad is toppled there will be ethnic cleansing of Allawite (a secretive Shiite sect) civilians by the Sunni majority. 

View from the ground: Syrians don’t want ethnic violence, but some may happen.  It’s already happening.  There have already been ethnically motivated massacres.  The longer the war continues the worse this will become.  Syria is not, however, Iraq. 

There are no U.S. troops in Syria trying to organize elections.  The U.S. presence and American missteps made ethnic violence in Iraq far worse than it would have been otherwise after Saddam Saddam Hussein's fall.  The Syrians are better suited to sort out their internal divisions than anyone else. 

A first? Helicopter gunships bombard Syrian capital

Allawites comprise about 10 percent of Syria’s 23 million people.  They are the government’s favored sect.  The Assad family is Allawite.  If Assad falls, there may be vendetta killings of some Allawites.  More than 17,000 Syrians have already been killed, which means 17,000 angry families.  It will be difficult to contain all that rage.  The longer the conflict continues, however, the more vengeance there will be.  If there are more large-scale massacres – if Aleppo is reduced to a smoldering pile like Homs – the aftermath could be much worse. 

But Syrians I have spoken to say they do not want a civil war.  They do not want to drive Allawites from the country.  Mostly, they want justice.  The rebels know exactly who they are looking for.  They have the names of Syrian government officers and militiamen responsible for massacres and torture.  They want to bring them to justice, but not to perpetrate more atrocities.  Syria needs help organizing a justice system to deal with the popular demands for retribution after the regime collapses. 

The conflict in Syria seems to be in its final stages, but how long this stage will last depends largely on what happens in the coming days and weeks and the amount of support the rebels receive. 

All indications are that Assad is going to fall.  But how many more Syrians need to go with him?

More world stories from NBC News:

• Olympic security plan turns London into fortress
• Spain teeters on the edge of a steep 'fiscal cliff'
• Going for gold: British workers cash in on Olympics with strike threats
• 'Building Tomorrow' - one school at a time in Uganda
• Ice melt found across 97 percent of Greenland, satellites show
• Afghan police commander leads defection to Taliban
• In Kenya, cell phones can do everything

Follow World News on NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

 

KAMPALA, Uganda – The Building Tomorrow Academy of Gita, about an hour outside of Uganda’s capital city of Kampala, is an amazing example of what can be accomplished when local communities and international organizations work together toward innovative solutions to educational challenges.  

 
While in Uganda last week, I met the dynamic tag team of George Srour, the American founder and “chief dreamer,” and Joseph Kalisa, the Ugandan country director, behind the school in Gita, as well as seven other Building Tomorrow “academies” in Uganda.
 
Building Tomorrow’s mission in Uganda is to do more than just build one-room cookie-cutter school houses. So far they have built eight “academies” – each with seven classrooms and space for up to 325 elementary school students.
 
And the best part is that schools like the one in Gita are built with robust local involvement: the school's surrounding communities help build them and the government promises to pay teacher salaries and ongoing operational costs after construction is complete.
 
The result is a real public- civil society partnership that is showing real results – and clearly making a difference.    

---

School project turns into dream
Srour started BT in 2005, the same year he graduated from the College of William & Mary in Virginia.   
 
The inspiration for BT grew out of a visit to Uganda and then a holiday fundraising campaign Srour spearheaded during his senior year at William and Mary called “Christmas in Kampala.” The campaign raised more than $45,000 for the construction of a new school in the capital city. 
 
As Srour told me, he realized in his final months of college that raising money was necessary, but not sufficient to fundamentally change education in Uganda, a country with about 50 percent of the population under 15, according to the CIA World Factbook. He realized they needed to do more.  
 
It is a place in which Srour has no family ties, but a clear calling. 
 
When I asked Kalisa, a Ugandan, if he could imagine doing anything else? He said, “Only when we’re done.” Srour had the same answer.

 

 
Gita school
The school in Gita opened in 2010, the result of BT’s first – though not last – multidisciplinary collaboration with an American university partner. 
 
In the 2007-2008 school year, undergraduate architecture and engineering students at the University of Virginia’s Architecture Studio reCOVER and its Engineering in Context Capstone Design Program designed Gita’s seven classrooms, its library, its latrines, its office space and its outdoor play and learning space (including a sports field and garden). 
 
Other students from the University of Virginia raised money to help the architecture and engineering students’ plans become a reality, including a stationary bike ride ‘across Uganda,’ in which students rode more than 7,500 miles to help raise the necessary $60,000 to build and supply a BT Academy. 
 
Srour and Kalisa clearly still couldn’t believe  –  even years later  – so many people rode so many miles so far away to help kids in Gita, in rural Uganda.
 
Although the design and funding came from the University of Virginia, the local community around Gita built the school.  Through more than 20,000 hours of donated labor, prospective parents and grandparents made the BT Academy in Gita a reality. It was the best-looking, most inviting school we saw on our drive down the dirt road, and yes, still one made of mud and bricks and stone and with outdoor, though hygienic and private, latrines. 
 
The kids were curious, the teachers engaged, the parents proud – and all treated their school space with dignity and respect.
 
Sustainable model
Ultimately, BT academies, including Gita, are public government schools.  Once the building is complete, BT in Uganda, through an agreement with the Ugandan government and with Kalisa’s supervision, selects high quality teachers who will make the most of the open, welcoming environment BT academies offer. 

The Ugandan government then pays for the ongoing operating costs of the schools and the teachers’ and supervisors’ salaries.  This arrangement – versus many other efforts in the U.S. to raise money to build a school somewhere far away with no plans for what happens after the doors open – has a clear plan for sustainable impact: it creates clarity around what is the local community’s responsibility, what is the Ugandan government’s responsibility and what is BT’s responsibility. 
 
That longer-term focus and clarity make BT distinctive – and more likely to have better results for its students, their parents – and their university partners back in the U.S.
 
BT now has eight schools up and running in Uganda, with another six close to completion. More than 25 college and university campuses in the U.S. have contributed funds, designs and time to help more than 1,800 Ugandan kids get a better education – and future. 
 
Next up: teacher academy

One new area of focus for Srour and Kalisa is building teacher capacity – they are clearly concerned there are soon not going to be enough high caliber teachers for the schools they are building already and dreaming about. 
 
Srour and Kalisa’s answer? Build a teacher training academy. 
 
Chelsea Clinton is an NBC News Special Correspondent. She was recently traveling with her father, former President Bill Clinton, to visit Clinton Foundation, Clinton Health Access Initiative and Clinton Global Initiative projects in a number of sub-Saharan African countries, including Uganda. In 2011, Building Tomorrow made a commitment at the Clinton Global Initiative to have built at least 60 schools in Uganda over the next 5 years.

 

 

More world stories from NBC News:

• Olympic security plan turns London into fortress
• Spain teeters on the edge of a steep 'fiscal cliff'
• Going for gold: British workers cash in on Olympics with strike threats
• Ice melt found across 97 percent of Greenland, satellites show
• Afghan police commander leads defection to Taliban
• After Hong Kong weathers typhoon, anger roils over Beijing flood deaths
• This family's Olympic odyssey includes bikes, satellite dish, reindeer pelts
• In Kenya, cell phones can do everything

Follow World News on NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

By Marcus Harun
NBC News

A 22-year-old victim of the mass shooting in Aurora, Colo., will soon be released from the hospital, a recovery credited to the quick thinking of her boyfriend’s father. 

Michael White Sr. had met his son’s girlfriend, Farrah Soudani, only one other time before they attended the midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises,” accompanied by White Sr.’s own girlfriend and his daughter.

About 15 minutes into the movie, when a gunman began firing in the crowded theater, Soudani was hit. Her boyfriend, 33-year-old Michael White Jr., also was hit and unable to help her.

White Sr., a 20-year U.S. Air Force veteran, sprang into action.

---

“The guy just kept shooting … so then I heard a pause; I figured he was reloading, and I grabbed my daughter and my girlfriend and I grabbed them by the head and told them, ‘Escape, go this way, get out, stay low, go out this way,’” said White Sr., 55.

 

But Soudani’s leg and abdomen were torn open by shrapnel. Her boyfriend, White Jr., had been shot in his torso and couldn’t move.

“I saw the gunman start shooting again so I took off my shirt and I put the shirt onto her, holding her guts in,” White Sr. said.

He tried to slow her severe bleeding while shots were still flying. He looked up and saw the gunman walk up the steps toward them and reload. White Sr. said that’s when he jumped onto Soudani, trying to block her from the next gunshots.

“If he was going to take out somebody, let him take out one person and I’ll save her,” White Sr. said. “Then her and my son can still have a life together hopefully.”

But before the next gunshot was fired, suddenly, the lights came on and the alarm system sounded.

The gunman, standing two rows in front of White Sr., turned around at the sound of the alarm and ceased fire.

As most people were trying to escape, White Sr.’s girlfriend ran back into the the theater when she realized the whole family didn’t make it out.  She said she held Soudani’s head in her lap and said, “You can’t go to sleep. Don’t go to sleep. Look at me.”

They all survived.

Soudani had emergency surgery within hours, and her kidney and spleen were removed. Her stomach, left knee and diaphragm were all seriously injured, and she now faces up to three more surgeries, doctors said.

The human body only holds about nine units of blood, doctors told them, and Soudani had already been given at least 40 units.

White Jr. had surgery after a bullet cracked his rib, and he has now been discharged from the hospital.

‘I’m in debt to him for the rest of my life’ 
Soudani has been in and out of consciousness but still maintains her sense of humor and also her caring nature, Soudani’s mother, Heidi Bergman Soudani, told NBC News.

“I am so grateful I have my daughter; a lot of other people don’t have their kids or their loved ones because of what happened,” she said. “She is a very strong person. She is feisty and she is not giving up.”

While lying in her hospital bed, Soudani has asked repeatedly if everyone else is OK, Bergman Soudani said.

Both of Farrah Soudani’s parents are very thankful for the White family’s heroic acts that saved their daughter’s life.

“I am in debt to him for the rest of my life,” said her father, Sam Soudani. “I really can’t describe it in words. I came up and hugged him and I gave him a kiss.”

White Jr. and Soudani have been in a relationship only for a few months, and the shooting has brought them — and their families — even closer together.

“The first time I met her she was somebody that you couldn’t get upset with,” White Sr. said of Farrah Soudani. “She was respectful to me when we first met. It’s just something I knew that if she went out with my son she would make him very happy and I know he would make her very happy.”

Despite all his efforts, White Sr. says he is not a hero, he’s “just Mike.”

“My son was a hero because he was trying to get up and save her but he couldn’t move because he was shot, so he was trying to crawl over,” White said. “There are other people that are heroes.”

 

By Ed Flanagan, NBC News

BEIJING – Hong Kong battened down the hatches Monday and rode out the strongest typhoon to hit the city in 13 years.

For the first time since 1999, Hong Kong raised its Signal 10 typhoon warning – the highest on the city’s weather observatory scale – for several hours Monday evening as typhoon Vicente pounded the region with gale force winds said to have reached speeds as high as 101 miles per hour. 

Hong Kong authorities reported 129 people were injured by the typhoon, with as many as 30 of the injuries caused by flying debris scooped up by the high winds. Seven incidents of flooding were reported in Hong Kong’s New Territories region.

Meanwhile, Beijing suffered through a 10-hour downpour over the weekend that dumped 6.7 inches of rain in parts of the city and as much as 18 inches in the worst hit parts on the outskirts of Beijing in what is being called the worst flooding to hit the Chinese capital in six decades. 

The subsequent severe flooding killed at least 37 people in the country's capital and affected nearly two million people, sparking millions of angry messages and complaints on China’s Twitter-like service, Weibo, in recent days.  Users posted countless home videos and pictures of cars struggling through wheel-deep water, waterfalls cascading down into Beijing's subway entrances and cars being swept away by the currents.

The differing level of destruction between the two cities provoked outrage at Beijing’s government, with critics asking why the city’s infrastructure failed to buffer the storm.

---

Hong Kong relatively unscathed in typhoon's aftermath
In Hong Kong, the damage from the typhoon wasn’t nearly as bad. Trees throughout the city were overturned while flying debris reportedly caused some minor structural damage in parts of Hong Kong’s usually busy financial district of Central. The high winds were said to have also whipped up large waves in Hong Kong’s Victoria Harbor which pounded walkways and ferry terminals around the famous city skyline.

 

The brewing storm sent office workers scrambling home as they hurried to avoid a partial public transportation suspension in the lead-up to the storm. Non-essential government offices were also closed early Monday and port and airport authorities shut down operations until the storm passed.

During the worst of the storm in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the BBC reported that 60 flights were cancelled, an additional 60 more delayed and 16 diverted.

By Tuesday 8 a.m. local time, the Hong Kong Observatory reported a weakened Typhoon Vicente was heading away from Hong Kong, allowing public transportation and flights from Hong Kong International Airport to resume. Trade on Hong Kong’s Hang Seng index also resumed earlier Tuesday.

The typhoon is reportedly creeping its way into China’s Guangdong province, where weather experts were warning that Vicente could still dump as much as 12 inches of rain in affected areas.

The typhoon comes as China is experiencing serious weather disturbances throughout the country. Near China’s central metropolis of Chongqing, heavy rains have caused flooding and brought the Three Gorges Dam – the world’s largest hydropower dam – perilously close to its largest flood peak this year.

Critics pound government’s response to Beijing storm

While Hong Kong seemed to weather the storm, nearly every aspect of the government’s response to the Beijing flooding has been criticized by the public, with much of the anger being directed at the shoddy drainage system. Netizens have also been quick to complain about the Beijing municipal government’s lack of preparedness for dealing with the disaster and the city’s failures in weather forecasting and deploying a good storm-warning service.

Beijing officials are saying that economic losses from the storm will surpass $1.5 billion dollars. But the PR hit to the city’s vaunted new infrastructure just four years after its coming out party during the summer Olympics has been far more costly -- especially considering the relatively minor damage suffered by Hong Kong from a major typhoon.

Public outrage over Beijing deaths

“Hong Kong just experienced the biggest typhoon in 13 years, but there are only seven reports of flooding, one report of landslide and no one died,” wrote one angry poster on Weibo comparing the Hong Kong typhoon with Beijing’s flooding. “The media effectively announced the alert, and reported the complaints of its citizens…The whole society functions under the normal rhythm.”

“The rainfall in Beijing and the typhoon in Hong Kong,” stated another irate poster. “Two completely different systems are shown in the same mirror.”

Sensitive to the great public outcry, Weibo began censoring overly critical posts on the subject of the Beijing floods. Citing alleged directives from the Beijing Municipal Committee Department of Propaganda, the China Digital Times posted reputed orders from the department that called for “public opinion guidance concerning yesterday’s rainstorms” in the form of state-run media shifting the focus of its news stories away from issues like the failure of the city’s drainage system to features that “emphasize the power of human compassion over the elements.”

On the edge of the Gobi desert, Beijing has not always had to deal with large rainstorms like Hong Kong, which is regularly in the season path of typhoons in the South China Seas area. Still, with more heavy rains expected later this week, local officials here will certainly be feeling the heat to keep the city largely dry throughout the rest of this rainy season.

NBC News’ Tianzhou Ye contributed to this report.

Updated at 10 p.m. ET: James Eagan Holmes appeared in court for the first time Monday after he was arrested last week in the deaths of 12 people in a mass shooting at a sold-out movie theater in Aurora, Colo.

Arapahoe County District Judge William Sylvester ordered Holmes, 24, held without bond, saying there was probable cause to continue the case. He told Holmes he was accused of having killed 12 people and wounded 58 others early Friday in a crowded theater that was showing the premiere of the new Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises."

Twenty-one people remained in area hospitals Monday, 10 of them in critical condition. Two were released.

---

Sylvester set a hearing on formal charges — expected to be multiple counts of first-degree murder — for next Monday at 9:30 a.m. (11:30 a.m. ET). Holmes — wearing a red prison jump suit and accompanied by Tamara Brady, one of his public defenders — said nothing during the hearing. He mostly looked down at the table under a shock of dyed bright red hair and occasionally raised his eyebrows in a quizzical expression.

Relatives of some of the victims leaned forward to catch their first glimpse of Holmes. Some stared at him the entire hearing, including Tom Teves, the father of Alex Teves, who was killed in the shooting. Two women held hands tightly, one shaking her head.

Afterward, Holmes was led away in handcuffs to his cell, where he is being held in isolation, said Carol Chambers, district attorney for the 18th Judicial District, which includes Arapahoe County.

Parents stand behind son
Holmes' father, Robert Holmes of Rancho Penasquitos, Calif., flew to Colorado to see James Holmes the day after the shootings. Monday, an attorney for Robert Holmes and his wife, Arlene, said that "their hearts go out to the victims and their families" and that they stood behind their son.

The attorney, Lisa Damiani, a prominent criminal and employment law specialist in San Diego, sought to clear up what she said were misconceptions that Arlene Holmes had said her son was the gunman.

ABC News reported Friday that when it called Arlene Holmes on Friday morning, "she told ABC News her son was likely the alleged culprit, saying, 'You have the right person.'" Many news organizations, including NBC News, referred to ABC's report.

In a statement read by Damiani, Arlene Holmes said the ABC reporter called her at 5:45 a.m. and asked whether she was Arlene Holmes and whether she had a son who lived in Aurora, Colo.

"I answered yes, you have the right person," Holmes said, according to the statement. "I was referring to myself."

Holmes said that she explicitly told the ABC reporter that she couldn't comment "because I did not know if the person he was talking about was my son, and I would need to find out."

Damiani reminded reporters that "it's important that a case of this significance be tried in the courthouse, in the courtroom, and not in the media."

Otherwise, Damiani said, the family has no plans to talk about James Holmes or their relationship.

No 'slam dunk'
The next step in the proceedings comes in a week, when Holmes will be back in court to hear the formal charges against him. After that, the case could wind on for months or even years.

Asked about the seemingly overwhelming evidence that investigators had amassed against Holmes, Chambers cautioned that "there is no such thing as a slam-dunk case."

"We will work very hard on this case just as we would on any other case," she told reporters after the hearing.

"A case like this involves so many different aspects — (prosecutors will) be working with the police, dealing with things such as search warrants, locations, is there enough evidence to proceed," James Peters, a former Arapahoe County prosecutor, told NBC station KUSA of Denver. Peters won the conviction of a man who killed killed four people at an Aurora restaurant in 1993.

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said it could take months simply to determine a motive. He said police were working with FBI behavioral analysts.

Then the state must decide whether to seek the death penalty.

Chambers wouldn't say whether prosecutors intended to pursue that option. A capital case would "impact the victims' families for years, and we would want to get their input on that," she said.

Chambers is term-limited, which means that decision could be made by Chambers' successor, Republican George Brauchler or Democrat Ethan Feldman, one of whom voters will elect in November.

Holmes' defense strategy could delay a resolution even longer. If Holmes were to plead not guilty by reason of insanity, or if his attorneys were to argue that he is incompetent to stand trial, proceedings could stretch for years — perhaps indefinitely.

A defendant is considered incompetent if he's unable to understand the charges against him or to assist in his own defense. Legal proceedings must stop until the defendant is restored to competency.

Scott H. Robinson, a prominent Denver criminal defense attorney, said Holmes' lawyers might have no choice.

If they believe their client is incompetent, they have "an absolute duty to raise competency and [request] a competency evaluation," he said.

Six-year-old girl, sailor, aspiring broadcaster among Colorado shooting victims

Suspect's apartment combed
Holmes told police that he had booby-trapped his apartment, and it took more than 24 hours for them to disarm the explosives he had left behind. They included dozens of softball-sized fireworks charges filled with explosive powder, all of them wired in a circle. In the middle were two jars with a liquid and a small device with a flashing red light.

With technicians now able to move freely about the unit, the investigation has picked up speed.

Shocked Aurora vows, 'We will not forget' victims of theater shooting rampage

Aurora police, assisted by technical experts from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, were poring over the physical and documentary evidence. Meanwhile, investigators continued to interview associates of Holmes and at least 80 people who have called in tips.

After having initially warned police about the trap in his apartment, Holmes stopped cooperating and was offering no help, police said.

Chris Hansen, Kate Snow and Mike Taibbi of NBC News and Raquel Villanueva of NBC station KUSA of Denver contributed to this report.

More content from NBCNews.com:

• Air Force reservist remembers colleague killed in theater
• Slideshow: Shooting at movie screening in Aurora, Colo.
• Obama meets with victims' families
• Aurora pastor: 'I don't know' why God allowed theater slaughter
• Victims who died include girl, sailor, aspiring sportscaster
• Police: Trip wire, bomb disarmed at suspect's apartment
• Shocked Aurora vows, 'We will remember' victims of theater shooting rampage
• Double tragedy: Aurora shooting victim learns her daughter was killed
• Video: Colorado shooting raises new questions about gun laws
• Photos of James Holmes, camp counselor for underprivileged kids
• Shooting survivor: Boyfriend 'took a bullet for me'
• Video: FBI 'feels strongly' missing Iowa girls still alive

Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

James Eagan Holmes, the suspect in the mass killing in Aurora, Colo., was a counselor in the summer of 2008 at a residential camp for underprivileged children near Glendale, Calif.

Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles confirmed that Holmes was a cabin counselor, responsible for 10 children at its Camp Max Straus for children ages 7 to 14 from Los Angeles. Holmes was then a 20-year-old student at the University of California, Riverside, and neighbors have said he was active in the Presbyterian church that the family attended. The camp is nonsectarian.

A statement from the group said, "His role was to insure that these children had a wonderful camp experience by helping them learn confidence, self esteem and how to work in small teams to effect positive outcomes. These skills are learned through activities such as archery, horseback riding, swimming, art, sports and high ropes course."

---

A fellow counselor told NBC News that Holmes seemed shy.

"The entire staff was really close, considering we lived together, except for James," said the counselor, who asked that she not be named. "He really kept to himself and hardly ever went on any trips with the rest of the staff. He was very shy and reserved."

Photos of the staff show Holmes goofing around with other counselors.

"It is sickening," the fellow counselor said, "knowing that he killed kids the same age that he once cared for." The youngest of those who died in Friday morning's shooting is Veronica Moser-Sullivan, 6. Holmes, who has not been charged with a crime, is scheduled to have his first court appearance on Monday and is expected to face 12 counts of homicide and many counts of attempted homicide.

The CEO of Jewish Big Brothers Big Sisters of Los Angeles, Randy Schwab, told NBC4 Los Angeles that Holmes had no disciplinary problems. "It is with shock and sorrow that we learned of the incident in Aurora," Schwab said. "Our hearts and prayers go out to all the families and friends of those involved in this horrible tragedy."

For more on what's known about James Holmes, read our earlier story, Suspect was buying guns, dropping out of neuroscience program.

More reading: Last year, after the shootings of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and others in Tucson, we explored the question, is there a "type of person" who carries out such an attack? A study by the U.S. Secret Service sheds some light, and you may be surprised at the answers. Read that earlier story here: Few assassins fit the 'profile.' Most had no mental health treatment, made no threats.

Have information?
Do you know James Holmes? If you have information, send an email to Bill Dedman of NBC News.

 

Related content from NBCNews.com:

• Man calling himself the Joker kills 12, wounds 59 at 'Dark Knight Rises' premiere
• Displaced by possible boobytraps, Colorado suspect's neighbors can only wait
• Families, friends anxiously await word of missing moviegoers
• Colorado shooter used shotgun, assault-style rifle with 100-round drum magazine
• Colorado shooting suspect: People remember shy, funny, smart 'Jimmy'
• Waking up to sickenly familiar horror
• Tragedy in Colorado: 'We've had our share
• Police: 'Sophisticated' booby-trap in suspect's apartment
• Raw audio documents eerie first moments of Colo. theater shooting
• Mass murderers often not mentally ill, but seeking revenge, experts say
• Woman who died in rampage narrowly escaped being shot last month
• Security at movie theaters comes into focus in wake of shootings
• People with same name as suspect hounded on social media
• Witnesses react online to 'Dark Knight' theater shooting

Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

 

Updated at 10:14 p.m. ET: A graduate student's attack in a sold-out theater near Denver showing the new Batman movie, in which 12 people were killed early Friday, was the culmination of two months of meticulous planning that included a potentially deadly booby trap left in the suspect's home for investigators, authorities said.

Fifty-eight other people were injured, many of them seriously, in the shootings shortly after midnight at the Century 16 Movie Theaters complex in Aurora, Colo. Earlier reports had said 59 people were injured, but police revised that number at a news conference Friday night. All but a small handful of the injured had been shot, Police Chief Dan Oates said.

Thirty people remained in area hospitals Friday night, 11 of them in critical condition, after a carefully orchestrated attack in which the suspect, identified as James Eagan Holmes, 24, bought all of his weapons and ammunition legally beginning in May.

Late Friday, the family of Alex Sullivan, 27, said in a statement that he was among the dead, the Denver Post and The Associated Press reported. Heart-wrenching photographs taken earlier Friday showed Sullivan's father, Tom, grieving and pleading for information about his son. 

---

Federal and local enforcement officials said Holmes was sheathed in a helmet, a gas mask, a tactical bulletproof vest, throat and groin protectors and tactical gloves. All of the gear was black.

Holmes was armed with two .40-caliber Glock handguns, a Remington 870 single-barrel pump shotgun, a Smith & Wesson AR-15 assault-style rifle and as many as 6,000 rounds of ammunition, Oates said.

The scene also appeared to have been specially targeted for maximum carnage — the local premiere of one of the most eagerly awaited movies of the year, "The Dark Knight Rises," the third in the series of director Christopher Nolan's Batman films.

In a statement, Nolan expressed "profound sorrow at the senseless tragedy that has befallen the entire Aurora community."

After he was arrested outside the theater, Holmes told police that he was the Joker, a reference to one of the most prominent villains in the Batman canon, a law enforcement official told NBC News on condition of anonymity. (The official said the suspect had dyed his hair red or orange, which isn't typically associated with the green-haired Joker character, who doesn't appear in "The Dark Knight Rises.")

Aurora police said Holmes also booby-trapped his apartment with an elaborate network of wire-connected bottles containing an unknown liquid, presumably intended to go off when authorities arrived to canvass his home.

Holmes told police about the trap before they arrived, however, and investigators hadn't entered the apartment Friday night. They were analyzing gases and examining photographs of the scene to figure out how to deal with the materials and had decided to defer any action until Saturday at the earliest, Oates said.

"It's not something I've ever seen before," said Oates, who said that the area was evacuated and that police were expected to remain on the scene "for hours or days."

Holmes, a graduate student from San Diego who was in the process of withdrawing from the neuroscience program at the University of Colorado-Denver medical school, put up no resistance when he was arrested in a parking lot at the theater, police said. He retained legal counsel and wasn't answering investigators' questions, they said.

"We are confident he acted alone," Oates said of Holmes, who was scheduled to appear in Arapahoe County District Court on Monday morning to face unspecified charges. Authorities refused to speculate on his possible motive.

One of those killed was Jessica Ghawi, a sportswriter who survived a June 2 mass shooting at a mall in Toronto in which two people were killed and seven others were injured. Ghawi blogged under the name Jessica Redfield.

Defense officials told NBC News that a sailor at Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora was missing and presumed to have been killed. A second sailor and two airmen from Buckley were also shot. Their identities and conditions weren't available.

'Mass chaos'
Authorities said the gunman appeared at the front of the theater at 12:39 a.m. (2:39 a.m. ET), about 20 minutes into the film, and released two canisters of gas. Witnesses told reporters that the gunfire erupted during a shootout scene. Authorities responded within a minute and a half, Oates said.

"It was mass chaos," witness Jennifer Seeger told TODAY. The gunman shot the ceiling and then "he threw in the gas can, and then I knew it was real."

Witnesses said the gunman entered the theater at Aurora Town Center through an emergency exit door. But a federal law enforcement official told The Associated Press that the suspect bought a ticket and went in as part of the crowd. He is believed to have propped open an exit door as the movie was playing, the official said.

Watch live video from KUSA

Aurora is a suburb less than 10 miles east of downtown Denver and just 15 miles northeast of Littleton, near the scene of what had been the worst mass shooting in Colorado: the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, when two gunmen killed 12 fellow students and a teacher and wounded 26 other people before killing themselves.

Three of the suspect's four weapons were found in his white Hyundai parked at the back entrance to the theater; one of the handguns was found in the theater.

Law enforcement officials told NBC News that the weapons were legally bought from local stores of two national chains — Gander Mountain Guns and Bass Pro Shop — beginning in May.

Oates didn't say what kind of magazines were used, but he said "many, many rounds were fired." Some rounds penetrated an adjoining theater and injured at least one person, he said.

James Yacone, the FBI's agent in charge in Denver, said there was no indication of a link to terrorism. Holmes wasn't on any federal law enforcement watch lists, authorities told NBC News, and Oates said he had no police record beyond a speeding ticket last year.

The few people who had any contact with Holmes described him as a recluse who lived with his shades drawn and who, when he did meet someone, revealed little.

"He kept to himself, didn't like a lot of attention," said Melvin Evans, a neighbor.

Another neighbor, Kaitlyn Fonzi, said, "We never heard anything abnormal until midnight this morning, when we heard loud techno music playing" from Holmes' apartment.

'Pain and grief ... too intense for words'
Gov. John Hickenlooper said at a news conference that "our hearts are broken as we think of the friends and family of the victims of this senseless tragedy." He called the shootings "the act of an apparently very deranged mind."

"The pain and grief (are) too intense for words, but we can't let it keep us from our lives," Hickenlooper said. "We are going to come back stronger from this, but it is obviously going to be a very long process."

President Barack Obama cut short a campaign visit to Florida to return to Washington ahead of schedule.

He called for reflection after the attack. "There are going to be other days for politics," Obama said during an abbreviated appearance in Fort Myers, where he led a moment of silence on behalf of the victims and their families.

More on this story from breakingnews.com

At a campaign appearance in Bow, N.H., Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney said: "Today is to remember and reach out and remember our blessings in life. Each of us will hold family close and spend a little less time thinking about the worries of our day and helping those in need of compassion."

'We need to go'
Moviegoers described scenes of chaos and terror inside the movie theater.

Tanner Coon, who was in the theater with a friend and the friend's 12-year-old brother when the shooter came in, said he told them to "get down" when he heard the gunshots.

The shooter fired off about 20 rounds and there was then a pause and a "period of quietness when everybody started running out," Coon said.

"I slipped on some blood and landed on a lady. I shook her and said, 'We need to go.' There was no response, so I presume she was dead," Coon said.

PhotoBlog: More images from the scene of the shooting in Aurora

Paris premiere canceled
Film critics have noted the dark, anxiety-fueled themes of "The Dark Knight Rises," which reminded some of the atmosphere in the days after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. It had been projected to be one of the biggest films of the year, and theaters around the world began showing it at 12:01 a.m. Friday.

"Warner Bros. and the filmmakers are deeply saddened to learn about this shocking incident. We extend our sincere sympathies to the families and loved ones of the victims at this tragic time," the studio said in a statement.

Chris Dodd, chairman of the Motion Picture Association of America, said in a statement:

"We share the shock and sadness of everyone in the motion picture community at the news of this terrible event. We extend our prayers and deepest sympathies to the victims, their loved ones and all those affected by this tragedy."

Miguel Almaguer, F. Brinley Bruton, Kristen Dahlgren, Bill Dedman, Jay Gray, Charles Greene, Garrett Haake, Ian Johnston, Zoya Khan, Jim Miklaszewski, Daniel Strieff, Mike Taibbi, Shawna Thomas, David Wyllie and Edgar Zuniga of NBC News and NBC stations KUSA of Denver and KNSD of San Diego contributed to this report.

Related content from NBCNews.com:

• Theater shooting suspect was buying guns, dropping out of neuroscience program
• Police:'Sophisticated' booby-trap in Colorado shooting suspect's apartment
• Families, friends anxiously await word of missing moviegoers
• Raw audio documents eerie first moments of Colo. theater shooting
• Mass murderers often not mentally ill, but seeking revenge, experts say
• Woman who died in Colo. movie rampage narrowly escaped being shot last month
• Security at movie theaters comes into focus in wake of shootings
• People with same name as suspect hounded on social media
• Witnesses react online to 'Dark Knight' theater shooting

Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Updated Friday 9:25 p.m. ET: James Eagan Holmes, suspected of carrying out the Colorado movie theater shooting while wearing an outfit of black ballistic gear, was a Phi Beta Kappa graduate student in neuroscience who started buying his four weapons legally in May, about the time his grades fell and he began the process of dropping out of school.

A law enforcement official confirmed that Holmes had two handguns, a shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle, had his hair brightly colored red or orange, and told police that he was the Joker, the fictional villain in earlier Batman comics and films. Holmes is not cooperating with authorities, other than to divulge that his apartment was rigged with explosives. He is represented by an attorney.

---

One difficulty for investigators is that the explosives in the apartment of the only suspect in this shooting are making it difficult to get to his computer, any writings or other information that could explain motive, why he apparently committed this mass killing. Police called it a "vexing problem." Police would say nothing about a possible motive or what Holmes' demeanor has been. Police have suspended for the night their attempts to enter his apartment.

In the past 60 days, police said, Holmes bought more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition, at gun shops and over the Internet.

The 24-year-old from San Diego, known to friends as Jimmy, was a Ph.D. student at the University of Colorado Medical School campus in Aurora, a university spokesman told NBC News.

"The University of Colorado Denver Anschutz Medical Campus can confirm that Mr. James Holmes was in the process of withdrawing from the University of Colorado Denver's graduate program in neurosciences," the university statement said. "Mr. Holmes enrolled at the university in June 2011."

A poor last semester
The Washington Post reported that a neuroscience faculty member at Colorado who said he taught Holmes said he immediately thought of Holmes when he heard that a student was accused of the shooting. The faculty member said Holmes was "very quiet, strangely quiet in class" and seemed "socially off."

Holmes did very poorly on his comprehensive exams last semester, the instructor told the Post, and the school was considering placing him on academic probation, but was not considering expulsion.

The university website listed one of his courses as the Biological Basis of Psychiatric and Neurological Disorders. He was listed on the class website as making a presentation in the spring on MicroRNA biomarkers.

The University of California, Riverside, confirmed that a student named James Eagan Holmes, with the same date of birth, graduated with a bachelor's degree in neuroscience in 2010. He graduated in four years, attending from the fall of 2006 to spring 2010. Public records show that the Holmes living in Aurora had a previous address at a Riverside dormitory.

Have information?
Do you know James Holmes? If you have information, send an email to Bill Dedman of NBC News.

'A little strange,' 'very smart'
A student who lived across the hall from Holmes at Cal-Riverside, who asked not to be named, said Holmes completed the honors program and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Golden Key honor societies.

"I always thought that he was a little strange. I could never put my finger on it, but something told me to not get too close to him, female instincts I guess," the female student told NBC News. "I had tons of classes with him and lived across from him in the Honors dorms. He was a very smart guy though. He was a little bit of a weird guy, but we were honors students, so weird people were kind of common."

Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates said Holmes, born Dec. 13, 1987, is the man who is believed to have killed at least 12 people early Friday at a midnight showing of the new Batman movie in Aurora, a suburb of Denver. At least 58 other people were injured, nearly all of them by bullets but a few in other ways in the chaos, Oates said.

Holmes has not yet been charged with any crime and will appear in court on Monday.

"We are confident that he acted alone," Oates said. He said he had no way to know yet how many rounds were fired, but it was "many, many." CNN said the gunman had a magazine that would have contained more than 100 rounds.

Holmes was arrested without any resistance at his white Hyundai car in the theater parking lot, parked just outside the theater's back door.

He was wearing a black ballistic or bullet-resistant helmet, a ballistic tactical vest with pockets, ballistic leggings, throat and groin protectors, a gas mask and ballistic tactical gloves, Oates said.

Weapon purchases started in May
In addition to two canisters, perhaps holding teargas, four weapons were found at the scene, Oates said.

• Two were .40-caliber handguns, made by Glock. At least one of those was used, the police chief said. Holmes had purchased more than 3,000 rounds of .40-caliber ammunition, Oates said.
• One shotgun, a Remington Model 870, one of the most popular models. Pump action, single barrel, 12 gauge, with 300 rounds.
• And one Smith & Wesson AR-15 type rifle, .223 caliber, called by some an "assault rifle." These weapons can accommodate large ammunition clips, and Holmes had one "drum clip" that would have carried more than 100 rounds, Oates said. With that clip, he could have fired 50 to 60 rounds in a minute, even if the rifle was considered semi-automatic, not automatic, Oates said. He had 3,000 rounds of ammunition for this rifle.

Officials told NBC News that all four were purchased legally, beginning in May, from two national chain stores: Gander Mountain Guns and Bass Pro Shops.

Bass Pro Shops released a statement saying that employees at a Denver store followed all laws when they sold two weapons to Holmes. "We want to offer our deepest sympathies to the victims and their families," said Larry Whiteley, manager of communications for the company. "This is an unspeakable tragedy, and we join with all Americans in offering our prayerful support. Based on the records we have reviewed, personnel in our Denver store correctly and fully followed all Federal requirements with respect to the sale of one shotgun and one handgun to the individual identified in this incident. Background checks, as required by Federal law, were properly conducted, and he was approved. Again, our hearts go out to the victims and their families. We also offer our support and appreciation to the law enforcement and emergency response professionals and all others who responded to give aid to these innocent victims."

CNN spoke with the CEO of TacticalGear.com, which said it sold Holmes a Blackhawk urban assault vest for $107, along with a triple pistol magazine, an M16 magazine pouch and a silver knife.

The only previous police record for Holmes is a speeding ticket in October 2011, the chief said.

Family statement
Holmes' family, who live in Rancho Penasquitos, a well-to-do suburban community in the northeastern part of San Diego, issued a statement through the San Diego Police Department.

"Our hearts go out to those who were involved in this tragedy and to the family and friends of those involved," the statement said. "We ask that the media respect our privacy during this difficult time. Our family is cooperating with authorities in San Diego, California, and Aurora, Colorado. We are still trying to process this information and we appreciate that people will respect our privacy." A man believed to be Holmes' father, James, was seen leaving with luggage, escorted by police. The Associated Press said the father is a manager at a software company, and his mother a nurse.

A neighbor, Tom Mai, told reporters on the block that Holmes was a shy, well-mannered kid, clean cut and responsible, who was very active in the church. The Associated Press reported that the family attended a Presbyterian church and threw a quiet Christmas party for neighbors. Holmes had trouble finding work after college, Mai said, and then went off to graduate school.

Rooting for the villain?
Holmes attended Westview High School in San Diego, graduating in 2006, the Poway Unified School District confirmed. Classmates showed yearbooks with his photo on cross country and soccer teams.

NBC 7 San Diego spoke with a classmate, Sumit Shah, who said he went to school with Holmes. "He was pretty shy, but once he got comfortable with you, he was the funniest, smartest guy… He always had something witty to say." He continued, "The guy I knew in high school, I don't understand how that could be the same guy…He was shy and little quiet, but he was never aggressive or mean. He always had really good grades. He seemed pretty normal."

A woman who said she knew him in high school told NBC News that Holmes was a good person, but oddly always rooted for the villains in superhero movies.

"He was a nice guy. Who very much wanted to be liked and wanted," the woman said. "He was a very, very smart guy. I honestly can not believe he could do this. I know, I know, everyone says that. But it is truly devastating to me.

"He did not have many friends for someone who wanted to be liked," she said. "He loved all the villains in superhero stuff, which I did point out as odd. Most people enjoy the hero!"

Her cousin, who knew Holmes and played soccer with him, offered this assessment by email: "Jimmy was kind to those who knew him. It was hard to get to know him, but once you did, you realized he was funny and accepting of everyone's faults. He loved video games. But I would say he did not like the shooting games. He preferred others, guitar hero. He was always quiet on the soccer field, but was committed to the team. Which is someone you want on your side even if they aren't the best. The last time I talked to Jimmy, he didn't really seem to be in a good place. But that was years ago. But nothing out of the ordinary, just you know the 20's trials and tribulations. What he did was horrible, but I will always know him as Jimmy Holmes, not this person he is being portrayed as. Just so devastating, maybe if I tried to keep in contact or something. Just hope and pray that the families that were involved know that everyone is thinking of them. I just am thinking of Jimmy also."

Related content from NBCNews.com:

• Man calling himself the Joker kills 12, wounds 59 at 'Dark Knight Rises' premiere
• Families, friends anxiously await word of missing moviegoers
• Waking up to sickenly familiar horror
• Tragedy in Colorado: 'We've had our share

'Quiet and easy-going'
Public records indicate that Holmes lived in the Aurora building where police have found explosives, at 1690 Paris St., Apt. 10. The building is reserved for students, faculty and staff from the medical campus.

The Denver Post reported that Holmes, in an apartment rental application he last year, described himself as "quiet and easy-going." A pharmacy student who lives in the building told The Post he called 911 around 12:30 a.m. Friday (2:30 a.m. ET) because there was a song blaring from the stereo inside apartment 10, where Holmes lived. The student, who wanted to be identified only as Ben, said he couldn't make out the song but that it seemed to be the same one playing on repeat. He also said Holmes kept to himself and wouldn't acknowledge people when they passed in the hall and said hello. "No one knew him. No one," he told The Post.

Melvin Evans, who was a bouncer at a karaoke bar near Holmes' apartment, said he recalled Holmes as a patron from checking IDs. He said Holmes would stroll into the Zephyr Lounge, sit quietly in a corner booth and have a Budweiser, but never joined in the singing. "He would just sit by himself. He wouldn't talk to anybody," Evans said. "He was really, really mellow, really calm. You wouldn't even look twice at him, if you passed him on the street."

Officials said Holmes was not on any watch list that would have alerted authorities that he was dangerous, officials said. The incident was not believed to have any connection to international terrorism, they added.

An earlier report that the car Holmes was driving had Tennessee plates turned out to be incorrect, officials said.

Watch live video from KUSA

'He looked so calm'
Police said the gunman entered through an exit door and appeared at the front of the theater in Aurora and released a canister, thought to be tear gas, that let out a hissing sound. He apparently had bought a ticket, propped open a door, and gone to his car for his gear.

The gunman then started shooting into the crowd, sparking pandemonium.

"He looked so calm when he did it," an eyewitness told NBC affiliate KUSA. "It was like scary. He waited for both the bombs to explode before he did anything. Then, after both of them exploded, he began to shoot."

"He had no specific target. He just started letting loose," the witness added.

Witnesses told reporters that the gunfire erupted during a shootout scene in the "The Dark Knight Rises." 

More on this story from breakingnews.com

After being captured by police, Holmes told authorities he had explosive materials in his apartment, KUSA reported.  

Local and federal officials searched Holmes' apartment building, which was evacuated soon after the shooting. 

Oates, the police chief, said the apartment had been booby-trapped with sophisticated explosives or flammable material. Officers were trying to determine how to defuse the devices.

Contributors to this report include staff from NBC News: Ian Johnston, Brinley Bruton, Sevil Omer, Suzanne Choney, Rosa Golijan, Joe Myxter, Petra Cahill, Kari Huus, Dick Belsky, Lauren McCullough, Michael  Brunker, Jason White, Bob Sullivan, Maggie Fox, Roland Jones, Carissa Ray, Alex Johnson, Gael Fashingbauer-Cooper, Will Femia, John Schoen, Allison Linn, Reena Joy Flores, Becky Bratu, Martin Wolk. The Associated Press and Reuters also contributed.

More related content from NBCNews.com:

• Raw audio documents eerie first moments of Colo. theater shooting
• Mass murderers often not mentally ill, but seeking revenge, experts say
• Woman who died in rampage narrowly escaped being shot last month
• Security at movie theaters comes into focus in wake of shootings
• People with same name as suspect hounded on social media
• Witnesses react online to 'Dark Knight' theater shooting

Follow US News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

 

By NBC's Robert Bazell and contributor Joyce Ho

Today the Centers for Disease Control announced there are more cases of whooping cough than they’ve seen in five decades. Why is it happening and what can you do to protect yourself? Below, find answers to frequently asked questions about this highly contagious illness. 

Why are so many outbreaks happening in 2012? 

The reasons for the current outbreaks of whooping cough, also known as pertussis, and what should be done to contain them are not especially clear. One of the factors contributing to these outbreaks is a vaccine that is not as effective as everyone wants.  

---

Until 1997, the pertussis vaccine contained whole killed bacteria and it was extremely potent. But many doctors and parents believed the vaccine had an unacceptably large number of side effects. As a result, scientists developed a vaccine that contains only five proteins from the bacteria. This new vaccine is much safer but not quite as effective as the older one. That is why in some people immunity wanes over time and they gain the potential to become re-infected and pass the bacteria on to infants, who are at the greatest danger of serious complications. 

Related: Obesity may increase adults' whooping cough risk

What is being done to curb the outbreaks?

The CDC recommends vaccinating young children, but the message about booster shots for older children and adults is not as clear.  There is no question that as more people get vaccinated, there will be fewer cases.  But with the current vaccine experts expect outbreaks like the ones we are seeing now in Washington State and elsewhere will continue. Scientists are now trying to develop a more effective, safer vaccine. 

What causes whooping cough?

Whooping cough is an airway infection caused by the Bordetella pertussis bacteria that results in significant illness and risk of death in children, especially those younger than one year old. The World Health Organization estimates that there are 20 to 40 million cases of whooping cough in the world per year, with 90 percent of those cases occurring in developing countries. In 2010, there were 27,550 reported cases of pertussis in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

What are the complications associated with whooping cough?

Infants less than six months of age are at highest risk for developing severe complications from pertussis. Pneumonia, rib fracture or hernias from violent coughing, seizures, and fainting can all arise from whooping cough. Because infants have less developed immune systems, these complications from pertussis can be life-threatening. 

How is whooping cough spread?

Whooping cough is spread through droplets in the air during coughing or sneezing. The bacteria is breathed in through the nose and then travels throughout the airways. This disease is highly contagious.

What are the symptoms of whooping cough?

The word “pertussis” means “violent cough,” and that is the most striking symptom of this infection. The uncontrollable coughing spasms produce a distinctive “whooping” sound when patients try to breathe, and can lead to vomiting, loss of consciousness, and choking. Whooping cough begins with symptoms similar to the common cold – fever and runny nose. About a week later, patients start experiencing deep and violent coughing spells that make it hard to breathe. This cough usually lasts one to six weeks, but may persist up to 10 weeks.  

Click here to hear what whooping cough sounds like. 

How do I protect myself against whooping cough?

The DTaP vaccine is a recommended childhood immunization that is given to children at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months, and 4-6 years. The vaccine combination not only protects against whooping cough but also diphtheria and tetanus, which are other bacterial infections with severe health risks for patients. Because immunity against this bug goes down over time, booster shots are recommended in people ages 11-64. For more information visit the CDC's website.

What do I do if I have it?

Treatment includes antibiotics such as erythromycin if the infection is caught early enough. Babies with whooping cough are usually treated in the hospital because they are at higher risk for severe complications.

To prevent yourself from spreading whooping cough to others, wear a face mask or cover your mouth when coughing. Do not go near babies and young children because they are very susceptible to the disease. Make sure everyone in your household is vaccinated and protected against pertussis.

For more information, visit:

NIH: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002528/

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/

 

 

Johnny Brooks Stevenson, Jr., wrapped his arms around his wife, holding her one last time before leaving their Hinesville, Ga., home.

“Girl, I’ll be alright. I’ll see you in six months,” he said.

Stevenson Jr. -- or "Pops" as most people called the father of two -- served in the U.S. Army for more than 20 years, including in Operation Desert Storm and Desert Shield. He retired from the military as a staff sergeant in 2000, at age 40, but when the war in Afghanistan began and many in his community were deployed, Pops decided to leave for Afghanistan in January of this year to work as a contractor at Camp Dwyer in the Helmand River Valley.

"I got the phone call on February 15th, and they basically told me that he had fallen to the ground," recalled Belinda Stevenson, his wife of 29 years. 

---

The man on the other end of the phone explained that they tried to revive him, but her husband had died. In shock, Belinda said she hung up the phone three different times, unable to hear the news.

 

 

"He was my everything," Belinda said of her husband, who was 51 years old. "He was my best friend, he is my soul mate. He will be my soul mate for eternity."

Even now, she said, it is almost impossible for her to accept: "I think because he was over there when he passed away, sometimes I think, 'You know what, he's still going to walk back through that door.'"

Pops had vibrant green eyes and a mischievous personality, and loved the outdoors, Belinda said. Wherever he was -- working on his motorcycles, sweeping his patio or raking leaves off the lawn -- his dog Savannah was always by his side.

"She would grab the water hose from him and she would basically run after him with the water hose, getting herself soaking wet," recalled Belinda.

When Pops died, Savannah was a constant reminder of her beloved owner. But in May, a powerful storm blew over the fence in the family's backyard, and the ever-adventurous Savannah ran away.

"I felt like when I lost Savannah I lost another part of my husband," said Belinda.

"That dog was something he cherished," said their son, Terrell Stevenson, 24. "For her to have gotten away, it just hurt everybody in our family."

Searching for Savannah

Terrell drove around the Hinesville area all night in search of Savannah, and went from one animal shelter to another trying to find their three-year-old husky. They were turned away at their local animal control center with no good news.

But weeks later, as Terrell was scanning Facebook animal rescue pages, a blue-eyed, white-tailed husky caught his eye. Savannah's photo had been posted on the Facebook page for Carpathia Paws, an animal rescue, as a missing dog who would be euthanized if she didn't find a home. But they soon discovered Savannah had been placed in a foster home in New Jersey.  Two hours before she was to be put down, Julie Ogden of  West Wood , N.J., had stepped up and offered her home to the missing husky. From the first night that Savannah slept at the Ogden home -- and took her place right on the bed -- they knew she had an owner who cared for her.

"Somebody really loved this dog. You could tell she really trusted people. So we were kind of wondering how she ended up in animal control when she did have a loving home," said Ogden, who volunteers for The Last Resort Rescue. 

Terrell found Ogden on Facebook, but instead of making the trek to New Jersey, Ogden drove Savannah all the way to Georgia as part of a caravan to raise awareness about shelter animals that are euthanized when owners cannot be found. 

The cars, trucks and vans arrived in Hinesville on July 14th, accompanied by the roar of a dozen motorcycle engines from the same bike group that gave Pops his nickname.

As Savannah took a hesitant step out of the trailer that had carried her for the 14-hour journey, Belinda knelt to the ground, exclaiming, "Oh! Savannah! Savannah!" Within minutes, Savannah was surrounded by the family that had loved her and lost her, blanketed in hugs and receiving pats on the head from all directions.

'I'm getting a little piece of Pops back'

Savannah now has her old yard back, and with a newly installed fence and kennel. For the Stevenson family, it's not just a pet that has been returned home.

"It's like I'm getting a piece of him back, I'm getting a little piece of Pops back. I really am. And that does my heart so much good," said Belinda.The Stevensons found another silver lining in these recent tragedies: both the passing of Pops and Savannah's disappearance led them toward a new mission in life.

Terrell is following in his father's footsteps: he has already completed two tours in Iraq with the Army and is now stationed at Hinesville's Fort Stewart. When his father died, Belinda asked Terrell to create the program for the service, and the hours he spent carefully designing each word and photo reminded him of his passion for graphic design.

"The way I grieved was through graphic design, because I was creating things for my dad, things my dad had inspired me to do," he said. Terrell recently applied to the Savannah College of Art and Design, and is now pursuing a career as a graphic designer.

Though it felt like a tragedy at the time, Belinda now sees Savannah's disappearance as "divine intervention." Caring for animals has since become her mission.

"There's so many dogs out there that are mistreated and need good homes," said Belinda. "I just feel like my mission in life is going to be to do whatever I have to do, one day at a time, to make it better for these animals."

Today, in the Stevenson home, Pops' coffee mug is in the same place as it always has been by the coffee maker. His clothes hang neatly in the closet. And now, thanks to animal rescuers and a woman 800 miles away with a heart for huskies, there's a loyal husky sitting by her family's side, right where she belongs.

The Stevenson family will continue working with animal rescues like Carpathia Paws, and they are even planning a charity motorcycle ride and doggy fashion show on September 8th called "Paws for Pops."

By Ron Allen, NBC News  

The anti-apartheid leader Nelson Mandela has pretty much completely withdrawn from public life. His health is a matter of constant speculation, rumor and mostly worry. There have been a couple of scares in recent years.  But on Wednesday, he celebrated his 94^th birthday, in a country where life expectancy is just 52: the latest remarkable accomplishment in one of the most remarkable lives of our times.

---

We traveled to South Africa in late February for NBC News. There was word Mandela had been taken to the hospital, but not much detail beyond that.  Turned out it was what doctors described as a minimally invasive procedure for an enduring stomach ailment. You could almost feel the world let out a big sigh of relief.

 

The trip gave me a chance to explore a place I rarely visit.  It’s long been one of my favorite countries to explore: inspiring, intriguing, and one of the most beautiful places you’ll ever see. 

South Africa's transformation

My first trip was almost 20 years ago, back in 1993. Apartheid was ending and soon segregation would no longer be mandated by law. I wanted to witness for myself what was left of such an incredible and notorious system of oppression.  Mandela was about to complete the journey from prisoner to president.  Fully democratic elections were about to happen. I’ll never forget that first morning when all South Africans were allowed to vote. The lines stretched for what seemed like miles into the morning haze. The “Rainbow Nation” was being born.

South Africa has come a very long way during the past couple of decades. But it certainly still has a long way to go. It is the largest economy in Africa, but not among the fastest growing on a continent talked about by economists as the next Asia, with many of the world’s top 10 fastest economies. About a third of South Africa’s 50 million people still live in poverty. Unemployment is about 25 percent, and double that for the black population, especially young people.   

We were especially curious about the so-called “Born Free” generation. Young people born since the early 1990s and the end of apartheid. Those born since Mandela became president are now young adults.  And they’re testing Mandela’s dream of equal opportunity for all against their own dreams. 

“The world is my stage. I can express myself the way I want to and have no limits,” said Tiisetso Lepelle, 17, a student from Wordsworth High School. She and her classmates were visiting Constitution Hill, near Johannesburg: a museum, court, and cultural center located in what used to be a prison notorious for its treatment of political prisoners.

'It's about me, and what I want'

Constitution Hill tells the story of South Africa’s transition from apartheid to democracy. But the next chapter of that story is all about Tiisetso and her classmates' generation. Many of them have expectations and a sense of optimism their parents, or even their older siblings, never dreamed of.

We asked what matters most in her country.  “It’s not about color. It’s about me, and what I want,” she said with confidence.

Over at Wits University in Johannesburg, we found a different take on things.

“I think there’s still a lot of racial tension,” said Alex Willis, an 18-year-old woman from a mixed race family. “I think that our children’s children, or our children’s children’s children might kind of get to see the day where that’s not an issue,” she added.  Alex, who is Caucasian and Indian, told us she doesn’t see a lot of mixing of people of various backgrounds and she sometimes feels like the odd person out.

Interestingly, her 20-year-old white classmate Michael Jordan, who she’s dating, saw things differently. 

"I think apartheid was terrible and I think we’re going to have the scars of those wounds for a long time," he speculated. "I think the majority of our attitude is, 'Let’s not dwell on the past because by doing that you can only stumble, you know, if you keep looking backward.'"   

South Africa is still a complicated and evolving society where race plays an enduring role in who gets what. For the most part, black South Africans control the government while whites control the country’s wealth and business.  It’s a stark divide that’s still so strikingly visible.  Whites live in the suburbs lined with high walls protesting their homes. Blacks live with much less. But there’s a small emerging black middle class: we saw one bustling shopping mall in the township of Soweto that could have been a small urban center with a large minority community in the U.S.  

And that’s what so many of the “Born Free” generation who we met aspired to, and more importantly expected, in their lives: success and self-determination. As they become adults and set out to make their mark on their country and the world, they’re determined not to let South Africa’s history hold them back.

 

Updated at 3:31 p.m. ET: Three high-ranking officials in President Bashar Assad's regime were killed Wednesday in a Damascus bomb attack, state television reported, the most serious blow to Assad's high command in the country's 16-month-old rebellion. 

Killed were:

• Defense Minister Dawoud Rajha, 65, a former army general, was the country's most senior Christian government official. Assad appointed him to the post last year. 
• Assad's brother-in-law Asset Shawkat, who was widely seen as a member of the president's inner circle. After years as deputy head and then chief of military intelligence, he was appointed deputy defense minister, a position that allowed him to wield power out of the limelight.
• General Hassan Turkmani, Assad’s senior aide and head of the crisis unit that managed the ongoing conflict.

---

The bomber -- said by a Reuters security source to be a bodyguard assigned to Assad's inner circle -- struck during a meeting attended by ministers and senior security officials in the Syrian capital as battles raged within sight of the presidential palace.

The men form the core of a military crisis unit led by Assad to take charge of crushing the revolt which grew out of a popular protests inspired by Arab Spring uprisings that unseated leaders in Tunisia, Egypt and Libya.

Within hours, Syrian State TV announced that Brig. Gen. Fahed Jassim el Friej would replace Rajha.

Assad brother-in-law, Syria's shadowy enforcer

A senior officer with the Free Syrian Army claimed responsibility for the high-level assassinations, a decisive moment in the conflict. Liwa al-Islam, an Islamist rebel group whose name means "The Brigade of Islam," also announced it was behind the blast. 

The death of three of the regime's most senior operational commanders could seriously dent the effectiveness of Assad's army, as it fights battles across the capital.

By nightfall, activists said Syrian army artillery had begun shelling the capital from the mountains that overlook it.

The White House said on Wednesday that time is running out to find a peaceful solution to the violence in Syria and added it did not know the whereabouts of Assad.

He did not appear in public or make a statement in the hours after the attack.

Security sources said Assad was not at the meeting where the attack took place.

"The window is closing, we need to take action in a unified way to help bring about the transition that the Syrian people so deserve," White House spokesman Jay Carney said at a news conference.

Both the U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and his British counterpart, Phillip Hammond, said Assad's regime must ensure that the vast Syrian chemical weapons stockpiles remain secure.

"The situation in deteriorating," Panetta told reporters on Wednesday, NBC News reported.

The U.N. Security Council put off a scheduled vote on a Syria resolution. President Barack Obama spoke with Russia's Vladimir Putin, who has acted as Assad's main protector in the diplomatic arena.

A BBC News journalist reported that residents very close to the building where the attack took place said they had not heard the sound of explosion and gunfire, and had not seen injured being taken away. 

Also on Wednesday, there were reports of explosions at the headquarters of the army's fourth division in Damascus, which is led by Assad's younger brother Maher, considered the second most powerful man in Syria.

It was not clear whether those forces were being targeted.

Photoblog: Who are the Syrian rebels?

Syria's information minister denied on state television that any explosion had occurred at the base.  

The capital has seen days of clashes pitting government troops against rebels. The fighting is an unprecedented challenge to government rule in the tightly controlled capital.

Activists in Damascus said by telephone that Republican Guards sealed off the Shami hospital in the capital after ambulances had brought casualties from the site of the explosion.

In addition to weakening the army command, Wednesday's killings are bound to heighten a sense of paranoia and mistrust among Assad's top ministers and officials.

The attack came as fighting erupted in major Damascus neighborhoods for a fourth day.

The Syrian Military has been using helicopters and firing rockets against Free Syrian Army rebels on the outskirts of the city. Loud explosions were heard and the streets of Damascus were virtually deserted. 

An army barracks near the "palace of the people," a huge Soviet-style complex overlooking the city from the western district of Dummar, came under rebel fire around 7:30 a.m. (12:30 a.m. ET), activists and a resident said.

"I could hear the sound of small-arms fire and explosions are getting louder and louder from the direction of the barracks," Yasmine, who works as an architect, said by phone from Dummar.

Video footage broadcast by activists purportedly showed a fire in the barracks overnight as a result of an attack by mortar rounds, but residents who saw the fire said they had not heard explosions to indicate it was a result of an attack.

Dummar is a secure area containing many auxiliary installations for the presidential palace and the barracks is just hundreds of yards from the palace itself.

Fighting in Sunni areas
Fighting also erupted overnight in the southern neighborhoods of Asali and Qadam, and Hajar al-Aswad and Tadamun -- mainly Sunni Muslim districts housing Damascenes and Palestinian refugees.

Assad and the ruling elite belong to the minority Alawite sect, an offshoot of Shiite Islam that has dominated power in Syria since a 1963 coup.

PhotoBlog: Behind Syrian rebel lines

NBC News staff, Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

More world stories from NBC News:

• Iraq war reconstruction: $6 billion to $8 billion wasted, US official says
• Billionaire Rausing charged with preventing wife's burial
• Syrian general Tlas in France following defection
• 'Mystery woman' stirs talk of changing times in North Korea
• From Cold Warriors to targeting trafficking: US military shifts focus in Europe

 Follow World News on NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook